Truss.



W. N. BEST.

' muss.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI-C28. 1916.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

WILLIAM 1\T. REST, OIE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedl Apr. 3, 110117.

Applieation fi1ed June 28, 1916. Serial I\To. 106,326.

T0 all wlwm z't may concem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. BEST, a eitizen 0f the Unitecl States, and resident of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings ancl State of N ew York, l1ave inventecl certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses, of Whieh the following is a speeification.

This invention relates to certain improve- 1nents in trusses ancl haS for its main object to permit the pad 130 be helcl firmly in plaee but at the sa1ne tin1e to permit of a relative 1noven1enc 0f the parts of the paol, o1 an outward 1novement of the entire operating surface of ehe pacl to acconnnodate alle same t0 movexnents of the body ancl 130 insure its proper operation a1: all tin1es.

As an i1nportant leature of my improved construction, I for1n theioad of two main sections, one of which is connected to the support ancl the otl1er of which presents the pressure o1 operating face, and so connect t-hese parts that the pressure faee n1ay n1ove outwarclly either in parallelism or with a tilting movement.

Reference is to be hacl 130 the aceompanying drawings illustrating eertain embodiments of my invention and in which similar reference charaeters indicate corresponcling Parts in the several views. In these draW- ings,

Figure 1 is an outer face view,

Fig. 2 is a section 0n the line 22 of Fig. l. y

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to 2, but showing the two parts separatecl ancl the springe removecl, ancl Figs. 4 and. 5 are details showing other arrangements of mounting-and supporting the springe.

In the speeific construetion illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the pad or body portion of the truss includes. two main sections 10 ancl 11. These may be made of harcl rubber, stamped metal, or any other suitable material and may be covered or coatecl to present the desired character of surface. Eaoh part is substantially cup-shaped and the two are so designed that the open end 0f one may telescope within the open enol of the other to form a central chamloer or cavity 12.

The part 10 may have its operating face 13 curvecl in accorclance with the curvature of the portion of the body With whieh it is to engage while the part 11 may have any suitable means for permitting of its attackment 130 a suitable support. If this support be in the for1n of a belt as is co1nmon in certain forme o1 trusses, the top part 11 may have a pair 03? transverse ba1s l1 rigidly secured thereto and extending substantially parallel 130 each other anal diagonally of the top. These may be spaced a short distanoe through saicl Wall ancl secureol by nuts or in any other suitable manner. These permit of the attachment of the truss to a belt indicatecl in dotted lines in Fig. l.

VVithin the chamber 12 is mounted one 01 more springs normally tending to press the tvvo parts away fro1n each othe r to the limiting clistance. In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the inner surfaces of alle top anal botto1n Walls are provicled with projections 15 which may extend within and act aS supports for coil springe 16. These are of such strength that they are compressed,

but little when the truss is firmly secured inthe desirecl Position on the bocly.

Instead of holding the sp1ings against lateral moven1ent at their ends by projections 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I may provide annular flanges 17, as shown in Fig. 4, and which presentsockets or recesses 18 into whieh the ends of the spring-s 1nay seat. It is not essential that coil springs be employecl as I may e1nploy leaf springs as shown in Fig. 5. In this oonstruction, I employ two leaf springs 19 and 20 extencling substantially at right angles to eaeh other. Each spring 1nay be bowed so that its center portion engages with the inner surface of the part 10 While its ende may engage with ehe inner surface of the part 11. The terminal portions of the springs may extend down along the side Walls of the part 11 so as to prevent any enclwise movement of the springe if clesired.

The two parts telescope with suffioient lost motion 0r free play at the engaging surfaces so that the two parts may be moved toward or fro1n eaeh other in parallelism 01 the part 10 may tilt or swing with a greater compression 01: the spring or springs adjacent to one encl than adjaoent to the other. This permits the operating part 10 to adjust itself to the position of the body during the movement of the latter in walking, sitting o1 bending over.

T0 limit t-he separating movement of the tvvo parts, I preferably provide the side Walls of the inner part 11 Wih longitudinally extending slots 21 and provide the siole Walls of the outer part 10 with pins 22 extending inwardly into these s1ots. The pins may have threaded. portions engaging in the Wall of the part 10 so es to be normally reuained in proper position bat capable of reacly removal if desired. Thema may be any desired number of these lost motion counections, but I find thatyfour is sufl1eient '1f spaced equal distances apart around the periphery.

T0 prevent moisture or any solid matter from gaining aecess t0 the chamber 12 and to prevent-any part 0f the body from being caught 01' pinched between the relatively movable purts, I prefembly provide a flexib1e connecting band 23. This extends around the pad and has one edge eonnected ene part and the opposite edge to the other part. The band is suflieiently wide and is connected a1ong lines spaced a suflicient distance from the edges 0f the parts t0' permit ehe desired telescoping movement. The band may be of c10th, rubber 01' other desired flexible fabric, although it is preferably substantially water-proof anal 0f such charac ter that it Will not be injured by weshing the entire device.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim es new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A truss including two cup-shaped men1- be1s lmving peripheral Walls arranged telescope one within the other und encircling a, centra1 chamber, one of seid members 0011- stituting a base and the other presenting a L each of seid members along ehe free edge 0f the peripheral WL11 0f the outer member und a plurality of springe within seid chamber und tending t0 separate seid members t0 the limiting extent.

Signed ab New York, in the county of New York und Stute 0f New York this 26th day 0f June A. D. 1916.

WILLIAM N. BEST.

Oopies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

